


don't stop 'til your heart goes numb

by towokuwusatsuwu



Series: Pride 2018: 30 Days of S.W.O.R.D. [17]
Category: HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Introspection, M/M, Slow Dancing, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: “For what it’s worth, I’m glad we all made it out alive. I was worried, y’know. Ranmaru’s a violent motherfucker and Kuryu’s worse, but we got out okay.” Hyuga drums his fingers on the railing, matching the beat of Ungyo’s song. “I guess I coulda just told Murayama to fuck off and die when he wanted to fight but just the same, thought I’d keep my word or whatever.”Kato pushes himself off of the railing and walks around so he can slip an arm around Hyuga’s shoulders, pulling Hyuga against him, taking the majority of his nearly-dead weight. “Don’t worry about it, babe. Everyone here wanted to fight to protect what’s ours.”“It’s nice, what we got here, isn’t it?” Hyuga lays his head on Kato’s shoulder, a reassuring weight.





	don't stop 'til your heart goes numb

The temple is quiet tonight. Kato Shu is not used to the quiet, not when Daruma Ikka is a constant party, people flowing in and out, the never-ending backdrop of music, of chatter and various other activities that would probably be frowned upon by the remainder of S.W.O.R.D. Tonight, though, the temple is quiet and dark, and it takes him a few minutes to hunt down their leader, intent on checking up on him before bed. Just because Daruma took far fewer hits in the grand scheme of things does not mean that Kato does not veer on the side of caution.

He finds Hyuga outside and alone, his shoulder leaning against one of the tall beams there, his jacket hanging loose over his shoulders. Before Kato reaches him, he sees Hyuga’s head tilt enough to let Kato know he was heard, not that he minds. They have been through more than enough without him trying to trick or scare Hyuga in any way tonight.

“You coming to see if I’m still alive?” Hyuga asks. His voice is soft, a little scratchy and hoarse, a testament to how tired all of this has made him.

“As if anyone or anything could ever kill you.” The notion is ridiculous. Kato has seen Hyuga beaten and bloodied and bruised, but only a fool would believe a man like Hyuga Norihisa could ever be killed by human means. “It’s about time to turn in for the night, don’t you think?”

He comes to stand at Hyuga’s side, leaning against the railing, peering up at the stars that twinkle in the velvet blackness of the sky with its hints of navy, the moon hanging fat and silver above them. Out here in the forest, they can still see the stars and the thin wisps of cloud cover looking like pieces of a veil. Further into the S.W.O.R.D. region, the true sky is hidden by the lights; Kato likes their position out here in the quiet just fine.

Hyuga hums, rests his head against the worn wood beside him. “I’m not tired.”

“You’re barely on your feet. I bet if I pushed you over, you’d just fall.” Kato pushes at Hyuga’s shoulder to illustrate, unsurprised when Hyuga wavers on his feet.

When soft music starts from somewhere deeper in the temple, Kato only shakes his head; he doesn’t need to check to know which of their new members plays music at night. Daruma has very few rules and no one had given him hell over it except for one or two odd people, and at Hyuga’s order, Kato had swiftly reminded them of their place and told them to leave it be. If some of their members need music to sleep at night, then music they get.

“Ungyo,” Hyuga murmurs, and Kato hums in agreement. “He likes the softest shit ever.”

“He’s like the softest dude I’ve ever met so that makes sense.” Kato doesn’t admit he likes this song, the easy beat, the rhythm making him want to sway in time.

Hyuga shifts so he can look at Kato directly, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That’s fair. He’s a soft cute kid and I think he might be my favorite. Is it bad to have a favorite?”

“I won’t tell the others.” Kato winks at him and Hyuga dissolves into laughter, thumping his head against the beam once more, turning his gaze back to the trees. He’s tired, all right, but too tired to do much of anything about it. “Hyuga—”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad we all made it out alive. I was worried, y’know. Ranmaru’s a violent motherfucker and Kuryu’s worse, but we got out okay.” Hyuga drums his fingers on the railing, matching the beat of Ungyo’s song. “I guess I coulda just told Murayama to fuck off and die when he wanted to fight but just the same, thought I’d keep my word or whatever.”

Kato pushes himself off of the railing and walks around so he can slip an arm around Hyuga’s shoulders, pulling Hyuga against him, taking the majority of his nearly-dead weight. “Don’t worry about it, babe. Everyone here wanted to fight to protect what’s ours.”

“It’s nice, what we got here, isn’t it?” Hyuga lays his head on Kato’s shoulder, a reassuring weight.

“Better than nice, it’s  _ home _ and no one wants to give it up without a fight.” Kato knows even their newer members were ready to fight until there was nothing left to protect this piece of land, the temple set into the trees, the peace and the quiet, the easy acceptance. “And maybe it’s not like, normal or whatever but it’s our home and that’s what matters.”

Hyuga presses his face against the side of Kato’s neck. “Y’know, I always liked this song when I was awake to hear it. It’s kinda… Like one of those cheesy romantic songs from the movies. Something you’d dance to, I dunno. I’m fucking tired.”

“You wanna dance?” Kato presses his fingers between Hyuga’s ribs just to feel him jolt.

“I dunno. Maybe.” Hyuga shoves himself more firmly against Kato’s side, curling an arm around Kato’s waist, tugging at his shirt until they’re more or less standing in front of each other, though Kato is still bearing the almost-full weight of Hyuga’s body. “It seems like a nice idea right now.”

As cheesy as this seems, Kato has to agree that the setting is a nice one. Their quiet porch, the moon above them, the soft music in the background, the thought that they could have lost everything and instead they saved it, and gained something in the process. Maybe Kato is stupidly sentimental ever since joining Daruma, seeing Hyuga as the man he would follow into the flames of hell if given half the chance. Maybe it’s just that he’s in love with Hyuga, and denying such a sweet request is not something he’s capable of doing.

He loves Hyuga a little too much for that.

“All right.” He slings an arm around Hyuga’s waist to keep him upright, chuckling when Hyuga’s arms slip around his neck. “You gonna let me lead this time, boss?”

Hyuga yawns and lays his head back on Kato’s shoulder, his soft black hair tickling Kato’s neck, breath puffing warm against Kato’s skin. “Yeah. Trust you to know what you’re doing for once.”

Kato tilts his head so he can press his cheek against Hyuga’s head, enjoying the quiet, the shared closeness of just this. For once, just once, it feels like their cares and worries are being put on hold or tucked away somewhere where they don’t have to think about them for a while, letting them linger in the darkness with each other. They’ll pay for it in the morning if an emergency pops up, something he knows better than most people would give him credit for, but he doesn’t care right now. All he cares about is Hyuga warm in his arms.

It’s hard to dance with Hyuga this tired, for what it’s worth. He doesn’t want to move his feet and he might be too tired to do so competently, though Kato has seen Hyuga dance more times than he can count. When the other leaders come to visit, Hyuga is usually reclining somewhere and smoking, but they’ve missed the better of Daruma’s festivals, the sound of Hyuga’s laughter ringing out over the drums, the staccato rhythm matching Kato’s heart as it beats furiously against his ribs every time he sees Hyuga smile like that.

How long had they been fighting for revenge against Kuryu, against the other leaders? For years. Kato knew it would likely be a lifelong quest when he joined Hyuga and promised to fight beside him, but the relief that soaks into his muscles every time he remembers they have more allies than they have enemies is palpable. After all, though he knows Hyuga would fight to the death if necessary, Kato never wants it to be necessary.

Hyuga sighs softly and nuzzles closer to him, his lips brushing against Kato’s neck as Kato settles on something they can actually accomplish with Hyuga in this state. It’s a lazy sort of waltz really, just a slow sway and turn of their bodies, something that matches up nicely with Ungyo’s favorite nighttime track. It suits them being this close, too.

“You’re warm,” Hyuga tells him, one hand slipping down beneath the collar of Kato’s shirt, fingers cool against his shoulder. “Or I’m cold. I don’t really care which.”

“I do. Don’t stand out here in the dark and get cold. That’s irresponsible,” Kato mutters.

Hyuga laughs, the sound reverberating against Kato’s throat. “You’re always so worried about me, but I’m still here, aren’t I? And arguably we’re doing better than ever before.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not going to worry when it comes to you, y’know.” Kato has never said most of this; it’s an unspoken truth between them and nothing more. “Hyuga—”

“I know.” Hyuga’s fingers dig into his shoulder. “I appreciate it, for what it’s worth. Having someone to worry about me like you do.”

Kato says nothing, just kisses the top of Hyuga’s head and pulls him a little closer, their bodies still swaying in time with the music. He might never be able to properly voice it to Hyuga, at least not the way he wants to, but he appreciates having someone to worry about. An anchor to hold him here in this place, someone who always makes the Daruma Ikka temple feel like home.

Not that he thinks he has to say it, because Hyuga has his own ways of understanding. It’s what makes them work even when there are so many words lost between them.

When the song finally comes to an end— Ungyo must be asleep, Futa turning off the music to give everyone else a little peace and quiet— Hyuga leans back, just a little, hands still clinging to the material of Kato’s coat. His expression is smoothed out, relaxed in a way Kato has not seen in a long time, one that sends a wave of calm affection and fondness through his body. This is the man he loves with his entire heart, the one he would gladly die for.

“I love you,” Hyuga tells him, and Kato’s heart skips several beats. He might be dying. “I might not say it much, but… I do. Just so you know, or whatever.”

Kato laughs, bumps their foreheads together, smells the herb on Hyuga’s breath. “I know. I love you, too, Hisa-chan. Even if I don’t say it nearly enough.”

“Eww, gross, don’t call me that.” Hyuga smacks at his shoulder but there’s no force in the touch or malice in his voice, more a delicate little smile playing at the corners of his lips. Kato saves that nickname for the very private. “Let’s go to bed. I can barely stand up straight.”

In the morning, Hyuga will complain, or find a way to get him back for this. For now, Hyuga is too tired to fight him so Kato takes advantage, crouching down fast so he can sweep Hyuga up into his arms bridal style. Hyuga, predictably, swears at him and smacks his shoulder again, but he goes limp against Kato’s chest and allows himself to be carried through the temple, Kato easily maneuvering over bodies when he has to. He has practice at this.

The bedroom used to belong to Hyuga and Hyuga alone, but now it’s their shared space. Hyuga gets his jacket and shirt off and gives up there; the moonlight spilling in the window illuminates the scars on his chest, so many from fighting, two from surgery, all of them a symbol of who he is, what he stands for, and what he fights for each and every day. He’s comfortable with Kato staring at him, raising an eyebrow at him.

“You gonna join me?” His voice is softer now, deep in his throat.

Kato strips down and lies next to him, and Hyuga rolls onto his side, curling up against Kato’s chest, a cue for Kato to pull him close and hold him tight. It’s worth it, to fight and claw tooth and nail, so he can come home to this at the end of every day.


End file.
